OPELOUSAS MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO BANKRUPTCY FRAUD

An Opelousas man pleaded guilty to concealing his bail bonds business income during bankruptcy proceedings, U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today.

Kirby L. Daigle, 67, of Opelousas, La., entered a conditional guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge C. Michael Hill to one count of making a false statement under penalty of perjury during bankruptcy proceedings. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Daigle filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on December 22, 2009. On bankruptcy documents, under the section for income, he wrote “unemployed,” and under the section for income from operating a business, he wrote “none”. The incomes he did list were veteran’s benefits and Social Security disability payments. Daigle in fact owned a bail bonds business, and he wrote bonds and collected commissions on those bonds at the time he filed bankruptcy. He also used sub-producers to write bonds under his bonding license, and he was paid a fee when a sub-producer wrote a bond.

Daigle faces a maximum of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Daigle’s sentencing was set for September 19, 2014.

The Social Security Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert C. Abendroth and Myers P. Namie are prosecuting the case.